


So Close And Still So Far

by resident_of_storybrooke



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, calling out my last story tbh, communication is key folks, fake dating WITH A TWIST, trope-a-thon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:07:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22322293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/resident_of_storybrooke/pseuds/resident_of_storybrooke
Summary: Emma took Killian home for the holidays as a fake date. Things seemed to be going well...until it didn’t. What happens when two fools in love didn’t confess their love over the holidays like they planned and have to go back home to reality? This. This is what happened...(A twist on fake dating during the holidays)
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Huntsman | Sheriff Graham/Red Riding Hood | Ruby
Comments: 37
Kudos: 60
Collections: CS January Joy





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> FAM SQUAD!!!! What’s up! I hope everyone is having a great start to their 2020! This is the first part - that’s right there’s more to come - of this little chestnut. Part II is already done, and I’m working on part III already. I’m excited about this story, mostly because it made me eager to write again. Massive shoutout to @csjanuaryjoy for putting this together, it was a joy to join the event again. HUGE LOVE for my dear friend @kymbersmith-90 for taking her magic red marker and making this all shiny. 
> 
> Come say hi on Tumblr!! ALL THE LOVE

“Stupid, stupid, stupid, stu-”

“I’m gonna go ahead and guess the next word was stupid?”

“Goddammit, Ruby! Shit!”

Emma jumped back in surprise. She didn’t think her roommate would be home yet. Ruby was supposed to be with her boyfriend - well, fiancé if everything went according to Graham’s plan. 

“Nice to see you too, Emma. Missed you these last few weeks. How was your trip home?”

Emma slammed the door, dropped her bags on the ground, and plopped onto the couch rather dramatically, even by her standards. Ruby hummed in acknowledgment of her friend’s dramatics. she knew better than to push Emma when she was like this. 

Unfortunately for Emma, Ruby had no problem pushing when it came to helping her friend. 

“Emma, really? What happened? I thought Killian was going home with you-”

“Exactly! You thought it was a great idea! I didn’t! I knew it was stupid!”

Ruby walked out of the kitchen and shoved Emma’s feet out of the way before taking a seat at the opposite end of the couch. 

“Did he not feel the same?” Emma looked away from Ruby, refusing to make eye contact. Ruby thought for a moment she had crossed a line, but then she saw her friend blushing. “Emma? Emma Marie Swan! Did you not tell Killian the truth?”

Emma sat up abruptly. “When would I have done that, Rubes? Between the family dinners and David watching us like we were some goddamn teenagers needing to be supervised, we had no time alone! And the time we did have alone it was awkward as shit! We’d spent the entire day acting like we were in love-”

“You do love him, so there’s not much acting involved.” 

“Ruby, I swear to god.”

Ruby held her hands up in defense. “Sorry. Please continue.” 

“It was awkward at night, but nothing was worse than the mornings.” Emma held her head in her hands as she tried to forget what it felt like to wake up in his arms. 

Ruby stood up quickly. “Wait! Are you saying you shared a bed?” Her face lit up like their Christmas tree (which they needed to take down), much to Emma’s chagrin. Ruby moved quickly out of the room to grab their whiteboard, which was often used when they were trying to pin down the location of their latest skip.

Emma rolled her eyes as she saw the whiteboard enter the living room, and flopped back down into the cushions when she saw the title Ruby had written across the top of the board.

_“Trope-A-Thon”_

“Really, Ruby?”

Her friend simply smiled in reply as she picked up the marker and began to write. Finally, when Emma heard the marker’s cap click back on, she sat up to read what Ruby’s work - her jaw dropped in surprise.

“What the hell is this list, Ruby?”

“This my dear Emma, is what I call a trope chart. I’ve listed some of the most overused, cliched, cute, and dare I say fluffiest tropes there are.”

The list was full of concepts Emma had heard of before. She’d read a piece of fan fiction or two, and a few cheesy novels. Enough to know this list was only going to add fuel to Ruby’s fire. 

“Okay, number one: bed-sharing. Now, a big moment here, Emma. Was it forced?”

Emma thought about lying; however, she figured for the sake of her own sanity, it would be best to tell Ruby the truth. “Ruth assumed we share a bed now and-”

“Perfect, so we can check that off. Oh! Actually, and I’m assuming the answer to this question is yes but I need confirmation. Did you actually sleep in the same bed or did one of you “try” to sleep on the floor, but ended up in the bed anyway?”

“We both offered to sleep on the floor but eventually decided we were mature enough to share the bed. Ruby! Don’t give me that look. We knew there was a chance someone would barge in.”

“Yeah, right! I’m sure it was a real sacrifice for him to spoon you all night.” Emma’s face went bright red – again. “Wait - were you the one doing the spooing?” 

“No! He was...it was, ugh - I hate you! It was nice, okay?”

Ruby continued to laugh as she wrote more nonsense on the board under bullet point one. Emma saw that she already had seven listed, and there was still space for more. 

“My next question was going to be ‘was there cuddling’, but I guess we can skip that. Now, what about outside of the bedroom?”

“Why does that matter?” Ruby didn’t answer, she merely gave Emma a pointed look. “Yes, we cuddled on the couch some nights.” Emma sighed, before reading the subpoint listed on the board. “And yes, sometimes it was when others were around and sometimes it was when we were alone," she continued, hoping to bring an end to the conversation sooner rather than later. But Ruby wasn't anywhere near close to being done.

Eventually, Emma grabbed them both snacks and drinks. She hated herself for giving into whatever this nonsense was. Still, she couldn’t help but feel curious about where this was all going. 

They made their way down the list, checking off every single trope Ruby had listed, and added a few more as they went along. It wasn’t until they got to the last bullet point that Emma realized just how screwed she was.

“Ruby, I am not sharing-”

“Ems, you keep saying that and it’s cute you still believe it. But you’ve already shared every other detail about this trip with me. I’m not letting you skip over the most important one.”

_13\. Kiss?_

That’s all the board said. Emma had hoped that they wouldn’t get this far. She had been relying on the fact that Ruby had a shiny new ring on her finger and hadn’t yet mentioned it once. Emma had tried to distract her at point number twelve, _breaking the no gift rule_. Of course, it hadn’t worked, and with that, Emma was forced to relive one of the most thoughtful and awkward moments of her life. 

Killian had given her a star. Not just any star. He’d given her the one that was located right by the Cygnus constellation. Even the tips of his ears had gone bright red when she’d opened the letter. Killian felt terrible that he could get her the constellation but figured this was a close second. 

One summer three years ago, not too long after they had met, Killian took her stargazing and showed Emma her namesake. Since then, whenever possible, they would always try and find the Cygnus, and that damn star he got for her was the star that usually led to the discovery. 

Emma realized she had been caught up in the moment when Ruby’s fake cough brought her back to the reality of her situation. 

“Okay. Yes, there were kisses.”

Ruby’s eyes went wide and she sat back down on the couch. “Wait, Emma? You guys kissed? As in, more than once? How much of that was for real?”

Emma was exhausted. Reliving these past two weeks were both great and miserable. The moments, the ones in front of her family were real. Emma knew she’d loved Killian for two years now. Being by his side, showing affection was nothing new for her; in fact, she reveled in those opportunities. But then there was the reality of the situation, Killian was faking. He’d always been open to her affection, knowing how rare she showed her softer side. And Killian was a flirt, Emma knew with her it was different, but he was always charismatic and doting. 

Emma and Killian had shared a kiss or two before; usually, it was due to someone turning their head the wrong way. All harmless little moments. 

Until this trip home.

“I mean, my family hung a lot of mistletoe this year, so there were a few harmless quick ones. But there were two, um, not so innocent ones?” Emma tried to shrink away from Ruby’s squeals. It took a moment for her friend to calm down and when she did, she turned intense eyes Emma’s way as she waited for more details. 

“When he got me the star, I kissed him. And I mean like grab-him-by-the-lapels-of-his-jacket-and-haul-his-lips-down-to-mine kiss him. It just felt like -”

“Like your life depended on it? Like one of the cheesy romance clichés? ”

“You know, I still hate you right now,” Emma sighed, once more deflated that Ruby’s clichés seemed to perfectly sum up that kiss. 

“Wait, you said there were two. When was the second one?”

That was the one Emma was most bothered by, because Killian had initiated the kiss that time. “It was the last night. We...uh...everyone else had been drinking except for us. Everyone was so lovey-dovey and all over their significant other. I kinda used it as an excuse to be more...touchy than normal. PG-13, I swear! But we were alone in the kitchen at one point. And that goddamn mistletoe was hanging from the fan. I...fuck...I made a joke about how I knew Mary Margaret had planted it there and he said something about not wanting her efforts to go to waste. Then I said he couldn’t handle it, and then he that that I couldn’t handle it. He was right. I definitely couldn’t handle it.”

Ruby nearly fell off the couch from how hard she was laughing. Emma took a pillow and threw it at her friend to try and make her stop. Finally, after a few minutes, Ruby regained her composure and sat back up.

“Emma, you do realize how ridiculous that sounds, right? Like, how the hell did you guys not finally get together? Seriously!”

“I don’t know, Rubes! I thought after the kisses he would say something. I thought...I thought he was going to after the last one. He looked at me...ugh...he looked at me like he loved me or something. It was so incredible, but then…I just ...”

Ruby moved closer to Emma and pulled her into a hug as her friend started to become emotional. 

“Emma, I know I tease you all the time about telling Killian how you feel. But look at yourself, sweetie. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. The two of you have something special. It’s rare and I need you guys gotta stop being idiots and get over-” 

Ruby stood abruptly and walked back to the board. Emma wiped the tears from her eyes, as she turned her head to try and figure out what Ruby was doing. 

Ruby mumbled something to herself that Emma couldn’t decipher. “Rubes? What are you saying?”

“There was no angst.”

Emma pushed away from the couch and moved to her friend’s side. “What did you just say?”

“Emma! That’s it! There were no angsty moments!! How did I miss this the first time?” 

Ruby turned back to the board as if it all made sense now, and Emma couldn’t have been more confused. 

“What do you mean there was no angst?” 

Ruby sighed, almost as if she was annoyed that Emma wasn’t keeping up with her. “Come on, Emma, you like cheesy romance novels. You know how this works! There’s the mutual pining, the insane idea that fake dating will ever work, forced bed-sharing, kisses that weren’t necessary for the ruse! You checked every trope box we could think of - all except one. What eventually pushes the couples together?”

Emma gawked at Ruby’s accusation. “I think I’ve let this go on long enough. We aren’t some cheesy Hallmark movie!”

“The board of tropes and I disagree with you, my friend. Look, you know it’s true. I know it’s a lot to take in but maybe this is your angsty moment. How did you guys even end the trip? He dropped you off, right? What did you say to each other?”

Emma walked back to the couch and dropped down onto it with a huff of annoyance. As much as she hated to admit it, it felt like Ruby was on to something.

“Fine! Nothing happened! Okay? He helped me grab my stuff and we just stood there while he held my bags. I went to grab them, and he thought I was going in for a hug.”

“Oh, Emma. No.”

Emma reluctantly nodded her head. “After that, he thanked me for letting him come home and asked if I would see him Friday for poker.”

Ruby quickly cut Emma off. “You will be seeing him on Friday, right?”

Emma ignored the outburst. “I said maybe, as long as I didn’t have any cases. And then I just came upstairs.” 

“Oh, Emma. Thanks for proving my point. Go see your man. Tell him you love him. Have hot sex. I’m done here!” Ruby walked out of the living room and back to her bedroom, leaving Emma to ponder that had been revealed.

Maybe she should go and see Killian. But it was late, and she should really sleep on everything before she did something reckless. Besides, nothing good ever happens after two am.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL HELLO THERE!!! Am I actually keeping my word and getting this out on Wednesday?!??! WILD!!! So this chapter we get a little flashback and then ending is going to have @kmomof4 yelling at me, I’m already in the corner K! MASSIVE MASSIVE MASSIVE thanks to the incredible @kymbersmith-90 for gong over this and making it not a total disaster and cheering me on! Much love to you lady!! PART 3 IS IN PROGRESS!!! The goal is to have that up by the end of the weekend, we shall see things happening in life right now so I’m not sure.
> 
> Come say hi on Tumblr, ALL THE LOVE!!

Killian was trying to figure out where the bloody hell he’d gone wrong during these last two weeks. He tried to think back on every bad thing he'd done in his life, wondering if this was payback for some past sin he’d committed. 

He thought when Emma had asked him to come home with her for the holidays, it would finally be the moment Killian pulled his head out of his ass and told Emma the truth. Killian Jones was irrevocably in love with Emma Swan. 

Although they rarely had a moment alone, he felt closer to Emma than ever before. Throughout the trip, he would look over at Emma and see her happy, and carefree. He promised himself that he would do anything and everything in his power to make her feel that way forever. 

Killian though he’d found the opportunity to make that a reality, after their kiss. 

Well kisses. 

Both had completely caught him off guard. But when Emma kissed him after he’d given her his gift, and then under the mistletoe, he knew he'd go to the end of the world or time for this woman. He’d suspected it before those moments, but after kissing her he knew there would be no going back.

Except he still couldn't tell her. He was a scared lad standing in front of the woman he loved, and he couldn't tell her the truth. Killian was worried the kisses had been a result of the heat of the moment - not because Emma felt the same. 

The bloody hug had really pushed him over the edge. He lost all hope after that moment. Killian tried not to let his disappointment show, but Emma knew him better than he knew himself, and her lackluster response to poker on Friday only seemed to confirm his theory.

Still, Killian held onto the hope that maybe they could remain close friends. He hardly remembered life without Emma now. The last few years has been the best of his life. After losing his mother, his sperm donor of a father, and his older brother, Liam, Killian thought he'd spend the rest of his days alone. 

Then Emma had walked in one day and blown his mind. 

_Her blonde curls fell down past her shoulders. Killian would've done anything to run his fingers through her golden locks. When she removed her jacket, Killian had spat his rum back into his glass. Robin had made a fuss, but he didn't care. The dress was sin itself, or maybe it was the woman in the dress. The red fabric hugged her every curve - not that it covered much - leaving her long legs on display, her heels enhancing her features._

_Killian watched her like a hawk, he had caught her eye once or twice. Even the dim light at The Jolly Roger couldn't hide her blush. Just as Killian was preparing to make his way over, another man sat next to the siren. Jealousy overtook his entire being._

_Killian prayed it was just some random guy trying to shoot his shot. Still, she seemed genuinely interested in whatever he was saying. Until she didn't._

_All of a sudden, the man flipped the table and its contents fell into her lap. Fury overtook him now. Killian quickly made his way to the door to block the bloody bastard. When the guy saw him standing there he seemed to think nothing of it, and attempted to push past. That was the final straw. Killian punched the git and the man went down like a sack of potatoes._

_After he shook his hand a few times (he'd forgotten how badly punching someone hurt) he saw her make her way over to him._

_"You didn't have to do that, you know? I had it all under control."_

_"Aye, love, I'm sure you did. However, the gentleman in me couldn't allow him to continue his escape after that horrendous act."_

_"Oh, now you're a gentleman? Didn't seem that way given how you’ve spent all night ogling me.” She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow to exaggerate the point._

_Killian was embarrassed after her assessment. "Aye, I’ll not deny that I've struggled to tear my eyes from you all night. Can you blame a man? You are stunning." He stepped further into her space with every word he spoke._

_There was that blush again. "Well, thanks. You just helped me pay my rent for the next four months with this moron." Killian's face twisted in confusion. "I'm in bail bonds. Emma Swan, not too upset to meet you."_

_Killian's smile took over his face. "Killian Jones. The pleasure is all mine, love."_

_"I’m not your love. Good night, Killian." As Emma started to walk away, he reached for her arm and she turned back to face him._

_"When can I see you again, Swan?"_

_"In your dreams. Thanks again for the help."_

_And just like that, she disappeared as quickly as she’d arrived. Killian didn't know why, but he was enamored by this beautifully feisty woman. Sure, he'd definitely be seeing her in his dreams. But he wasn’t sure that would be enough._

_As the weeks went by, Killian spent every night at The Jolly Roger, praying for another chance to Emma again._

_Five weeks and four days later, that's when Emma finally made her return._

_He would've waited forever if he had to._

_This time, Emma was dressed more casually. Killian suspected this was her regular style. She was with a few other beautiful women, but Emma stood out above the rest. All of his weeks of careful planning had gone to hell once his eyes found her._

_Killian turned back to Robin, who was behind the bar, and he was laughing his ass off. Some friend he was. Killian tried to figure out what his next move should be. Killian knew Emma wasn't like other women, he knew she'd see through any game he tried to play._

_Right as Killian found his courage someone slid into the seat beside him._

_"Playing hard to get? Didn't seem like your style, Jones."_

_Killian let out a deep sigh. "Aye, not my intention at all if I'm honest. However, you seem to leave me speechless, love."_

_"Still not your love." Killian's nerves shot right up at her tone, but when he looked over at Emma she was smiling back at him._

_"Night out with your friends, Swan?" The two looked back at the group of women, all of whom seemed to be shooting daggers in Killian’s direction. "Um, is there something I've done wrong?"_

_"Oh, no. You see the one with the pixie haircut? She's been seeing a guy for the last two months, and it turns out he's engaged. So tonight, all men are the enemy."_

_Killian felt terrible for the lass. No one deserved that sort of betrayal. "Emma? Would it make your friend feel better if you threw a drink in my face?"_

_"Seriously?" Emma stood up from the bar, obviously surprised by Killian's suggestion._

_"Aye, anything to help cheer her up tonight. However, there's one catch."_

_"Of course there is. What is it, Jones?"_

_"Give me your number?"_

_"Bold move, Killian."_

_"Perhaps, but it's worth it to see that smile. And I promise to not abuse the privilege, I just want to get to know you, Swan."_

_Emma took out a pen and quickly jotted down something. Before Killian could say another word, she had thrown her drink in his face. As the shock wore off, he could hear Emma's friends cheering behind him._

_Robin came over to give Killian a rag to dry off. "Sorry mate! Looks like you can't win 'em all."_

_"Actually," Killian picked up the napkin with Emma's number, "looks like I can, old sport."_

As the weeks had gone by, Killian and Emma spent almost every waking moment together. The two slowly fell into a routine. When Killian finished work at the shelter, Emma would meet him at his flat. He would never forget the look Emma gave him when he told her that he ran a homeless shelter specifically for those leaving abusive relationships. That was the first time he’d seen someone genuinely proud of him for a long time. And whenever Emma tracked down a skip, they went to The Jolly Roger to celebrate.

As the years passed, their sexual tension only seemed to grow. Eventually, he realized there was something more to it than just tension. He was in love with Emma Swan.

When Killian finally trudged up to his flat, he flopped onto the couch in a dramatic fashion, similar to how he's seen Emma act after a long day.

While he sat and moped, he contemplated texting Emma a dozen times. He went back and forth as he tried to decide his course of action with her. Killian felt like he was back in the pub all those years ago, trying to figure out what in the world to say to Emma. She deserved to know the truth, and Killian needed to stop hiding behind their friendship. 

Eventually, he decided enough was enough. It was only as he grabbed his phone keys that he saw the time. Two in the morning. Emma would probably be asleep by now. He knew better than to disturb her precious sleep. So Killian decided he would tell her Friday night, after poker, because nothing good ever happens after two am.

CSCSCSCSCSCSCSCS

As the week came and went, Killian barely heard a word from Emma. It almost as if she didn't want to see him. Every time he'd try to call, she sent him straight to voicemail; and she took hours to respond to his texts, which had never happened before. Emma also blew him off for their Thursday night movie-thon. He had even bought Princess Bride just for her.

Killian should have seen it coming. He knew he’d come on too strong during the trip, and this was Emma's way of telling him to back off. When she blew off poker night he figured all hope was lost, and he should try and move on. 

Then, of course, he remembered their New Year's Eve plans. They were supposed to go to some fancy hotel party, they had bought their tickets last month. It had cost them a pretty penny, but it was this roaring 20s party that Emma had insisted on attending. The two of them had managed to convince all of their friends to buy tickets as well, as it was supposed to be a fun night to kick off the New Year properly.

Except Killian hadn't held an actual conversation with Emma since their return, and he was pretty sure she would find some way to back out of it. Her excuse came the night of the party itself. 

Killian's eyes lit up when he saw her name pop up on his phone. 

"Good evening, Swan! I was just about to make my way over to pick you and Ruby up.” 

"Killian," she paused for a moment. "I can't go. I'm sick." He felt his heart plummet. "Ruby tried to make us a nice dinner and she gave me food poisoning. She's fine, but Graham is going to pick her up. I'm sure he can come to get-"

"No, Swan. I'll come over and keep you company tonight. No one should be alone on New Year's Eve." He tried not to sound desperate, but Killian missed her. 

"I can't ask you to do that. You spent way too much money on these tickets."

"Aye, tickets I bought for the two of us to enjoy the night. I'd rather spend the night with you watching whatever blasted movie you force upon me."

"That's really nice of you, but I can't ask you to do that. Go! Go have fun with everyone. Drink way too much. Make fun of David's dancing for me."

Killian wanted to fight her on it, he wanted to kiss her at midnight - food poisoning be damned. "I just...I miss you, Emma. Haven't seen you - hell - haven't talked to you properly in a week."

He heard Emma let out a soft sigh. "I miss you too, Killian. We'll get brunch or dinner - whatever you're awake for - tomorrow. I promise."

For the first time all week, he felt hope again. "Aye, love. It's a date. I'll text you tomorrow then."

"Good have fun! Take lots of embarrassing pictures for me!"

"Will do. Happy New Year, my love."

CSCSCSCSCSCSCSCS

Emma nearly dropped the phone.

My love. 

Killian had called her a variety of things over the years, but never once my love. She truly hated Ruby for getting her sick. Emma had finally found her courage and was going to kiss him as the ball dropped. She had this whole plan worked. 

And now she’d need to wait until next year.

Or maybe she wouldn't have to wait too long, Killian's birthday was at the end of the month. Emma had been working with her friends to help throw him a surprise party. He had told Emma years ago that he rarely celebrated his birthday, and by the time he turned twenty-one, most of the people he loved were gone. So there had been no one around to throw him a party.

Emma felt a renewed sense of excitement. She believed that she had found the right moment. That finally, she would be able to make a grand romantic gesture. It was a little ironic that it would be her and not Killian, but she figured he was worth it. 

As the night dwindled on, Emma tried to relax. She was finally feeling a little better, and the knowledge that she would be able to see Killian tomorrow had helped to boost her spirits.

It was as Emma was scrolling through Instagram, looking at the photos Killian had posted, when she felt like she was going to vomit again. All were perfectly harmless, except for the blonde who couldn't seem to keep her hands off him. And by the looks of it, Killian wasn't exactly fighting her affections. 

She was too late.

Emma’s mind began to conjure up a myriad of different scenarios that would explain the behavior, all of which ended with Killian and the blonde in bed. 

The bed that Emma should have been in. It should have been her in those pictures; her making memories with Killian. 

Not some random blonde. 

Then Emma saw the woman’s comment. 

_So happy I ran into you tonight, Killy!! Love you <3_

That time, Emma did drop her phone and stormed off to her room and cried herself to sleep. 

All of her plans for Killian’s birthday drifted out the window - along with her heart.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: My friends! What is up! I do apologize for the delay, offline life has been a bit wild. This chapter picks up where we left off. Hopefully, I answer some of your questions, like who the hell this blonde is! Can these two get it together?? MAYBE! A huge thank you to @kymbersmith-90 and her dramatic ass for helping with this part (she’s to blame for the ending...whatever that means ;)). I hope you enjoy this third part! 
> 
> Come say hi on Tumblr! ALL THE LOVE!

When Killian woke the next morning, his head was ringing. It was all David's fault.

One good - or bad thing, depending on who you asked - was that David lived only an hour away. He and his wife, Mary Margaret, made the trip out to the city for New Years'. And although Killian was devastated Emma was sick, he was happy he’d been able to avoid her brother’s watchful eye all evening.

Without the tension of dating his best mate's sister hanging over them, the two friends decided to have some fun. David had challenged him to see who could down the most shots in a minute. 

Killian had lost count at six, but he was pretty sure he’d won. He might have only won because Mary Margert interrupted them halfway through but regardless, Killian had won. 

Everyone had been drinking heavily, but Killian probably consumed more than anyone else in his attempts to forget how much he missed Emma.

And then he saw her.

Elsa Arendelle. 

She looked absolutely beautiful, and much happier than the last time they’d seen each other.

At her fiancé’s funeral. 

Liam's funeral.

Elsa was the closest thing to a sister Killian had, and he missed her tremendously. She was the last person he’d seen when he’d left England, unable to stand being the country that had taken all of his family away from him. They’d kept in touch throughout the years, but both found it challenging to be around the other with a constant reminder of what they’d lost.

Killian saw Elsa before she noticed him, and decided to give her a little surprise. As he made his way around her group of friends, Killian was spotted.

"Killian Arthur Jones, don't you dare try and scare me!" 

He laughed loudly as he pulled Elsa in for a hug. She was always three steps ahead of him. The two quickly embraced and held each other for the first time in years. 

"What the bloody hell are you doing here, Elsa?" She merely extended her hand and Killian saw Anna, her sister, with a rather tall man.

"Anna met someone. Kristoff lives over here. She convinced me that I needed a fresh start and well...here I am."

Killian wrapped her up in another hug and then a cough interrupted the moment. 

"Killian, who is this?"

Although he couldn't see their faces, Killian could sense David's tone was suspicious of his affections towards a strange woman. 

Killian turned around to introduce everyone. "David, Mary Margaret, this is Elsa...she's..." Elsa nodded in approval of the title Killian was hesitant to share, "Liam's fiancé." 

The couples' faces dropped in shock. Mary Margaret, in typical fashion, went right in for a hug. Killian could see that Elsa was unsure of what to do at that moment, and all he could offer her was a shrug of his shoulders. 

"Elsa, this is David and Mary Margaret. David is Emma's brother, he-"

"Oh, _the_ Emma Swan? You’re her brother? Speaking of Emma, where is she? I've been dying to meet her!"

David spoke first, "You know Emma?"

Elsa laughed as Killian blushed. "Only _of_ her. This one here hasn't shut up about her since the night they met." Mary Margaret gave Killian a knowing smile, and then he looked over to David. The big man seemed relaxed, almost relieved for the first time since he and Emma told everyone they were "dating". He felt as though he might finally have David's blessing. 

As the night wore on, the drinks continued to flow. Killian had his phone out and snapped random photos, posting them to his Instagram account. Elsa had even joked about commenting on his post while she sat next to him. The two were giddy, not just on the alcohol, but because they had finally been reunited just in time to celebrate a new decade - a new beginning. 

Killian didn't remember much of the night after that. He vaguely remembered splitting the cab with Elsa to ensure she made it back to her apartment safely. Then he remembered sober Killian had made a little pre-hangover kit, so he enjoyed a cool glass of water before promptly passing out.

But now, as he lay in bed waiting for Emma's text (which never came) Killian strained his memory to try and recall if he'd done anything the night before to piss her off. He'd thought they were past this, but his friend seemed to be ignoring him once more.

Finally, Emma responded and said that she didn't feel any better and needed to stay home. When Killian offered to spend the day with her, she refused. His head hurt too much to have an argument with her, so he promised himself he would deal with it when he felt a little better.

Except Emma never gave Killian a chance. For the next few weeks, she took every case that came up out of town. What was worse was that she always gave Killian the least amount of notice - well, Ruby had been the one to tell him when he’d showed up at their door last Friday. She seemed to be just as frustrated by her friend’s behavior as he was.

Just as he was leaving their apartment, Ruby called to him. "Killian? Just...don't give up on her?"

Killian let out a small sigh. "I couldn’t, even if I wanted to.” Ruby smiled. She knew how deep their feelings ran - even if they were both too scared to admit it to each other.

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Ruby closed the door and turned back into the apartment, Where Emma was hiding so Killian wouldn't spot her. "Emma, next time he comes, I'm letting him into this god damn apartment. He deserves -"

"He deserves that blonde from the party...not me. That picture was the first time I've seen him so carefree. He looked happy and...and that's all I really want for him."

"The blonde from the party? You mean you want him with her? With this Elsa?"

Emma cringed as she heard the woman's name. She didn't know Elsa, and she couldn't help to loathe her, but more than that, she was jealous of her. Emma had tried to learn more about this Elsa woman, but all her social media accounts were private. Even with the technology Emma had access to thanks to her job, she hadn’t been able to find anything on Elsa - at least, not without a last name.

Emma had tried to get Ruby's account of what had happened on New Year’s Eve, but Ruby hadn’t been there when Elsa had made her way over to the group. She had left the party early with Graham; once they’d realized it was the year of their wedding, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Emma couldn't really blame her friend; she was excited for the couple. And maybe even a little jealous, if she was honest. 

"...even if that's not with you?"

Emma came out of her haze and looked up from the couch as she met Ruby's eyes. She had a lump in her throat and she was trying to hold back tears, but ultimately failed. As Emma wiped the tears from her face, all she could do was nod her head.

"Emma...why don't you talk to Killian about -"

"Ruby, no. Stop. I can't keep talking about this. I'm done. Goodnight."

Emma stormed off to her room leaving her best friend alone in the living room. Ruby felt horrible for her. Ruby was tempted to give Killian a piece of her mind, but decided that conversation needed to happen in person.

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Three weeks. That's how long Emma moped in her room, how long she hid away from Killian. But today was Killian's 30th birthday. Their friends would be throwing him a surprise party later that evening, Emma still couldn’t face him.

"Emma, are you sure you don't want to come tonight? You planned most of the damn thing!” Ruby came into the living room half-dressed, which was par for the course with her modesty. Emma merely huffed at her friend. She didn't have the energy to go through the same argument again.

"You can't avoid him forever, you know? Eventually, you're going to see him, Emma."

"I know...I just can't be there tonight. She's gonna be there, and I can't handle seeing them together." 

Ruby dropped the topic (for now), she didn't want to upset her friend anymore. They agreed to tell their friends that Emma was on a case out of town. They knew everyone would believe it - except Killian. He would see right through it. Ruby knew Emma was a grown woman, but her friend needed a push, and Ruby was more than happy to be that push. 

Emma was on the couch watching a _Forensic Files_ marathon as Ruby walked out the door for the evening. When Ruby looked back and saw how broken her friend really was, she knew that push needed to come sooner rather than later - because Ruby missed her best friend. 

She made it to Killian's apartment a little after seven. Killian and David would be back from the pub in an hour or so. That left plenty of time for Mary Margaret and Ruby to decorate before their friends Tink, Mulan, and Belle arrived

In the blink of an eye, Killian's apartment had transformed, with a few minutes to spare. Mary Margaret played host well, and Ruby made sure to help get everything in order so that no one's car gave away the party inside. Not long after, David texted his wife to let them know they'd back to the apartment in ten minutes. 

Quickly, the two women encouraged everyone to find a hiding spot where they could wait for Killian to arrive. 

That's when Ruby saw her. 

Elsa. 

Ruby instantly felt rage overtake her, and then relief her best friend wasn’t there that evening. She knew if Emma had seen Elsa, she wouldn't have been able to handle it. It would've pushed her over the edge. But now was not the time for that, Killian would be here any second. 

For a group of grown adults who were trying to surprise someone, they were all awful at remaining silent. The room finally went silent as they heard David's laugh ringing through the hall - rather fake and over the top as a warning to the group. Ruby silently prayed David’s acting hadn’t been that horrible all night and given the party away. 

"Thanks for the beers, mate. I appreciate-"

"SURPRISE!"

Killian jumped back as the lights flicked on and the group emerged from their hiding spots. Ruby stayed in place, to watch as Killian's face went from surprised to holding back tears. He wasn't an overly emotional man, but she could tell the surprise had touched him.

She watched as he looked around to see who was there. 

Then she saw his face fall. It was only for a second, and Ruby knew why.

Everyone made their way over to Killian to wish him a happy birthday, and then Ruby saw Elsa run up to give him a bear hug. Ruby's sympathy quickly switched to rage.

"You know, if you stare any harder, you might burn a hole in the back of her head." Ruby turned her death-glare on Mary Margaret. "Seriously, Ruby. What's your problem with her? It's rude to stare!" 

Ruby pulled Mary Margaret to one side, the poor woman nearly tripped over her feet. 

"Ruby, what the hell?"

"M's, who is this Elsa chick?" Ruby asked, keeping her gaze fixed on the blonde in question. 

"It's not really my place to say, Ruby." 

For the first time since seeing Elsa, Ruby started to wonder if there was perhaps more to the story than she and Emma initially thought. 

"Mary Margaret, please. Emma's barely come out of her room since Elsa popped up. She'd kill me...but, M's, I need to know who she is. I've never seen Emma like this. This is worse than everything she went through with that dirtbag Neal. Emma loves Killian and she thinks that he’s dating Elsa. I need to know who she is so I can figure out how we’re going to help our friend."

Mary Margaret gasped. Only she, Ruby, and David had been there for the aftermath of Neal. It hadn’t been pretty, to say the least, but together they’d helped Emma work through everything. Thinking of her friend going through something worse than that broke Mary Margaret’s heart. "I wish I would've known sooner, then all of this could have been avoided."

Ruby's face fell in confusion. 

"Elsa is...do you know about Liam?" 

Ruby quickly nodded her head. Killian had shared a few stories about his brother, but she knew it was painful for him to open up. 

"Elsa was Liam's fiancé when...when everything happened. She just moved here at the end of the year. Killian didn't even know. He was just as surprised to see her as we were...Ruby? Where are you going?"

Ruby ran for the front door, ignoring all of her friends that called out to her, and then straight outside. She only stopped when the cold air washed over her face. As she sucked in a deep breath, she pulled out her phone and hit dial on Emma's number

"Ruby, I really don't-"

"Elsa isn't dating Killian! She’s Elsa! Liam's finance!"

"Oh my god…"

"Get your ass over here now and tell your man you love him." Ruby hung up the phone, before her friend could talk herself out of coming.

Emma couldn't believe it. She hadn't connected the dots before. Killian had only shared once that Liam was engaged and that had been years ago. Emma still had her chance to be with him. She just needed to make herself presentable and then finally tell her best friend that she was in love with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to peep that chapter count ;)


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